Something True, Something Brief: Bless the Lord
"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all his benefits, who forgives alll your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Ps. 103:1-5)
My favourite moment in summer to worship is gliding on the quiet waters of the lake before the sun rises above the tree line. To bless the Lord is to acknowledge the magnificence of God, his strength, beauty and grace and respond with gratitude and delight. For me, his presence in creation presses my soul with his rest and peace.
Psalm 103 begins with David's call to wholehearted praise of God—with "all that is within me." I'm reminded of the shema in Deut 6:4, to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and strength.
He admonishes not to forget what God has done, so he recounts the work of the Lord to jog our memories.
He forgives. We praise the Lord for his forgiveness, that he has seen and known our sin, the purposeful ways we lived for ourselves when our hearts were against him and he forgave us while we were yet sinners.
He heals. Though we still face bodily ailments the cancer of sin that would destroy our souls is remedied. 1 Pet. 2:24 tells us, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."
He redeems. Not only forgiving us while in the clutches of rebellion, he didn't leave us where we were. Plucking us out from the kingdom of darkness, placing us into the kingdom of Christ. Adopted as his children, a feat we could never accomplish for ourselves, we are embraced as his own with the promise of an inheritance yet to come. We are redeemed.
He satisfies. So many times i could look around and see all the things of the world and believe they will quench my thirst for success or knowledge or power, but the world will pass away and only God's kingdom will stand for eternity. Jesus is enough. Jen Wilkin writes, "nothing less than God will satisfy you. Nothing less will sustain you. Nothing less will suffice."
When we praise God our hearts light aflame with worship. We journey into the goodness of the gospel stirring our memories of who we once and who God has created us to be. Let's bless the Lord and forget not all his benefits.
Grace & Peace,
Amber
{*Participating with Something Brief, Something True this week}
Content: This Week…
In Articles (curated content just for you)
On the Blog
On my Shelf
I finished Target Acquired, a new release coming from Lynette Eason, the second in the series, it's suspense filled and has an interesting thread from their grandparents past.
I'm starting this one on the book of Acts and this fantasy novel that was recommended at GCD this week (and continuing the handful of others I'm in the middle of. 🙈)
In Articles
The Bible's Answer for Imperfect People | Cheryl Balcom
"We are wired for community and relationships. And we are wired for perfection, having been formed in the image of God Himself to walk in the presence of His holiness. Yet since the fall we have had to live just under that high bar, straining but never reaching the relational beauty and goodness that we were designed for."
How well do we think of others? Do we view ourselves rightly as those redeemed by the Lord Jesus yet continuing to untie the knots of our own sin and temptations...is this also our lens when we view others.
It's the speed with which we race to judge others or become angry when our expectations—or preferences—aren't met. I'll confess it happens in an unconscious instant sometimes. But the more I cling to the grace of God on me, to forgive and hold me close despite my shortcomings, I pray the same becomes true of how I love and interact with those around me.
The Three Greatest Enemies of Marriage | Tim Challies
What do you suppose they are?
Tim offers us three outward points of temptation that may cause disagreements and strife in marriage, but the greater challenges are born out of our own flesh resulting in opportunities for growth in our own character and Christlikeness. This ties in with Cheryl's piece about grace, because we can't navigate this on our own strength.
Jen Wilkin on Biblical Literacy | Lifeway
I'd agree that apocalyptic writing has always felt mysterious and confusing. In this article Jen talks about the fears we have and her approach to answering those needs with a literary approach to interpretation.
She has a new bible study on the topic which I'm looking forward to. I've also found this book by Nancy Guthrie, this one on a theology of the book of Revelation by Thomas Schreiner, and this commentary by Tim Chester helpful resources as well!
9 Ways to Pass on Your Faith Through Family Milestones | Matt Chandler (Crossway)
A couple years ago a beloved sister in Christ passed away and I remember during her funeral, one thing her daughter remembered was how special her mom made her feel by celebrating noteworthy moments with a red plate at dinner. This reminded me how I'm not always a great celebrator, but my desire to do that better. On my trip to North Africa I found a few great plates for this purpose at the medina.
I found this list a helpful reminder of the importance of intentionality in celebrating our faith as a family and continuing to develop our traditions and rituals.
Previously on Mosaic
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